Reality is a lie. Lying, therefore, makes this world go around. Accept it. Embrace it. Understand it fully. And most importantly, lie well and for all the right reasons.

It’s Time We Have That Talk

No, this isn’t about that not-so-fresh feeling, although that is an important talk we’ll have at a later date. No, this is about something more pressing and urgent, not that the not-so-fresh feeling isn’t pressing and urgent because it is, that needs to be discussed here and now because it’s been neglected for far too long. What is it, you ask? Obsession, that’s what it is. We need to have a discussion about obsession.

Why obsession? Well, why not? It’s popular these days to be both obsessed and to insult people as being obsessed. In otherwords, we’re a society increasingly obsessed with obsession. Which is odd, since obsession isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For sure, it can be, but so too can a knife be a bad thing if instead of using it to slice your peanut butter and jelly sandwich in half you use it to slit your neighbor’s throat. One could argue that obsession is part and parcel of what it means to be human — without it we wouldn’t have survived — we wouldn’t have evolved — and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. If Bill Gates and Sergey Brin….….weren’t so obsessed, you and I wouldn’t have found each other in this alternative universe of bits and bytes. If our hunter-gatherer ancestors weren’t so obsessed with hunting woolly mammoths and picking raspberries and gathering flax seeds, you wouldn’t be reading this right now because there wouldn’t be a you — even though there is no you, or me, if you read my anti-bio. Can you imagine our ancestors gathered around the campfire chowing down on some delicious, mouth-watering woolly mammoth burgers — the juice squeezed out with every luscious bite dripping down into their hairy chins amongst the flecks of gristle caught in the tangled and matted beards like flies in a spider’s web — and the conversation revolves around Conan’s obsession with hunting woolly mammoth? “Conan, we need to talk about this obsession of your’s. I mean, we all like woolly mammoth — don’t get us wrong, but with you it’s woolly mammoth all day long every day. You can’t talk or think about anything else but woolly mammoth, and it’s not healthy Conan. You need to diversify — you know, find some other obsessions. How about you give cave-painting a try. We hear it’s therapeutic, and who knows, if you’re obsessed enough with it, you may be famous one day.”

More to come — but for now I have a few more pressing things I need to attend to. I’ll update it throughout the day, and in the meantime you can imagine how I’ll fill the rest of this post. Some of you are intelligent enough to anticipate how it will proceed, and you owe that skill of insight to your obsession, so here’s to obsession (Cold raises a toast). Here’s some cheese to go with that toast.

Okay, I’m back. Where was I? Oh yeah, that’s right, obsession. What prompted this was Ian Ireland Welch, over at his blog, accusing me of being obsessed with Pat Lang. I found it rather ironic this goober had the nerve to call anyone obsessed considering his obsessive predilections — like America for example. Welch, despite being a Canadian, and his audience devote most of their time to thinking about and griping about America. They engage myopically and pedantically in American Exceptionalism. In short, America is their obsession — and The Jews as is witnessed by their preoccupation with the state of Israel and in particular its conflict with the Palestinians. It’s not a positive obsession either, but rather, it’s a hampering, blinding obsession. They see what they want to see. Their obsession enables the entrenchment of confirmation bias and that knife to slice their pb&j sandwich now becomes a weapon of willful ignorance they use to carve up their brains. They will, and do, attack anyone who tries to take that knife away calling any challengers trolls as they arrogantly cross their imaginary bridges to Delusionstan.

I, like anyone else, have obsessions and engage in obsessive behavior, but no, Ireland Welch is wrong, Pat Lang isn’t my obsession — irony is — contradiction is — satire is — satirizing abounding ironical contradictions is one of my obsessive predilections, and I consider it a positive obsession. Pat Lang is nothing to be obsessed about, and for the record, I don’t have the creep on my blogroll, but Ireland Welch does precisely because of his obsession.

Another obsession of Ireland Welch’s is book reading. He’s made it clear he’s an avid book reader — to the point of it being an obsession. As far as obsessions go, it’s not a terrible obsession but if the entire world were caught up in this obsession, I’m afraid we’d all starve to death and no one would hardly move except to get another book but there would be no other books because everyone would be so obsessed with reading books they’d never find the time to write books not to mention there’d be no one to publish them and print them and deliver them. You get the point. If you read too much, i.e. you’re obsessed with reading, well, that means you’re neglecting other things — like — thinking. Reading is assimilating predigested thought — meaning the author has done the thinking for you. This is why reading, and most things you do for that matter, should be done in moderation. I like to savor what I read — like a fine wine or a delicious woolly mammoth burger. I don’t want to scarf it down like a starving dog scarfs down its kibble and then looks up at you with a face that says “where’s the rest?” Savoring reading allows you take what you’ve read and mull it over allowing your mind to create new avenues and pathways of thought the author never could have or would have intended. Rushing through one book after another precludes this most important aspect of reading — and that is reading can expand your thought process and improve your thinking and reasoning if you allow it to and accordingly read in moderation. This is why well-read is not necessarily a compliment, but actually can be, and most always is, an obsessive complication.

There are so many obsessions, good and bad. They’re everywhere like Savoir-Faire, and new ones are being invented every day — every minute — every second. Some people are obsessed with grammar like the screen name Q. Shtik who used to haunt this space before I threw a bucket of water on him and he disintegrated like the wicked witch of The West. But, believe it or not, Q. Shtik’s obvious obsession with grammar was a good thing if you didn’t take his bait and instead allowed his editing to work for you and not against you. Sure, Q. Shtik might be supercilious, but so too are most people, if not all, who have blogs and post to blogs, so Q. Shtik’s not an exception in that regard. Considering that, I kind of miss Q. Shtik’s obsession at this space just as Chicagoans missed the smell of rotting slaughtered cattle when the New York City of the mid-west transformed its economy from that of a collective of stockyards and slaughter houses to any form of commerce you can name and more. The fresher air (but not entirely fresh) that replaced the oily, clingy smell of bovine death took a while to acclimate to, and in the meantime, Chicagoans lamented the loss of the foul air to which they’d grown accustomed.

Pat Celsius Welch’s blog (link here) is not the only blog obsessed with America and The Jews. I’ve made a point at this blog of highlighting a number of them, but the one with the most rabidly thriving obsession with America and The Jews is, hands down, Moon of Alabama. That space is off-the-hook rabidly obsessed, and this obsession is not a good thing. It’s terribly destructive to critical, objective creative thought. Talk about jejune — Moon of Alabama should be renamed Jejeune Moon of Alabama it’s so jejune. And it’s superciliously ironic about its jejuneness ( I’ve made this word up so you won’t find it in any dictionary).

This past week, because of the flare-up of the endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Moon of Alabama, to include not just the author of that space but especially the commentariat it attracts, has an obsessive flare-up of its own with The Jews taking center stage. Of course, with these rabid anti-Semites, Israel (a stand-in term as is Zionism for The Jews with this cowardly anti-Semitic crowd that’s afraid to say The Jews and afraid to admit they’re anti-Semitic) cannot be mentioned without also mentioning America because for most if not all of these anti-Semites, The Jews control the world and currently they’re accomplishing this via control of America. If you read the comments at Moon of Alabama, these foaming-at-the-mouth rabid dogs are on a mission — on a pogrom — to annihilate the country known as Israel. In my opinion, though, it wouldn’t just stop there. The annihilation of Israel really means the annihilation of The Jews — to make good on Hitler’s Final Solution and cleanse the Earth of all Jews for all time. I really believe this is what most of them want. I’m not sure about Bernhard (b, the blog author) but he harbors those who do have this sentiment in his comment section and by virtue of the fact he positively supports some of those anti-Semitic commentators and chastises others like myself who take those commentators to task doesn’t help his case. It shows he’s partial and bias towards anti-Semitism, although I will admit he has, on occasion, banned some of the most virulent of them. I will give him credit — he allows me to post at his space amidst the vitriolic crud and muck even if his motivation for doing so is because he’s labeled me the “residential clown.” That’s more irony, by the way. At least I know I’m a clown because that’s my modus operandi — I’m a satirist — but the clowns at that space, to include b, don’t know they’re clowns and don’t understand satire enough to ever practice it let alone recognize it when others are practicing it. Nothing’s more pitiful than a willfully ignorant clown who’s supercilious about its ignorance. That’s the freak show that is Moon of Alabama.

As I mentioned, with the flare-up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the cast, including the blog author b, at Moon of Alabama has gone crazy with apoplectic anti-Semitic and anti-American rage thinly disguised as Palestinian concern this week. There’s this blog post in particular, but it’s not the only one at b’s space. You can review any of the latest and you’ll come away covered in rabid-dog foam and most likely a case of rabies. Keep in mind, Moon of Alabama is a far-Left hang, although lately it’s increasingly a hang for apoplectic raging of all political stripes, so it’s peculiar, to me at least and also a few others, that the Left/left has made the Palestinians their pet cause when you consider the 1988 Hamas Covenanthere. Review of that covenant will reveal the role of women in society, and let’s face it, with these particular Muslims, and all Muslims until I’m provided evidence to the contrary, it’s the role for all women everywhere, ultimately. Considering the Left’s/left’s tradtional connection with women’s liberation, I find their unflagging support of Hamas to be just a Oui (haha — you bastard) bit ironic, don’t you? From the link:

The Role of the Moslem Woman:

Article Seventeen:

The Moslem woman has a role no less important than that of the moslem man in the battle of liberation. She is the maker of men. Her role in guiding and educating the new generations is great. The enemies have realised the importance of her role. They consider that if they are able to direct and bring her up they way they wish, far from Islam, they would have won the battle. That is why you find them giving these attempts constant attention through information campaigns, films, and the school curriculum, using for that purpose their lackeys who are infiltrated through Zionist organizations under various names and shapes, such as Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, espionage groups and others, which are all nothing more than cells of subversion and saboteurs. These organizations have ample resources that enable them to play their role in societies for the purpose of achieving the Zionist targets and to deepen the concepts that would serve the enemy. These organizations operate in the absence of Islam and its estrangement among its people. The Islamic peoples should perform their role in confronting the conspiracies of these saboteurs. The day Islam is in control of guiding the affairs of life, these organizations, hostile to humanity and Islam, will be obliterated.

Article Eighteen:

Woman in the home of the fighting family, whether she is a mother or a sister, plays the most important role in looking after the family, rearing the children and embuing them with moral values and thoughts derived from Islam. She has to teach them to perform the religious duties in preparation for the role of fighting awaiting them. That is why it is necessary to pay great attention to schools and the curriculum followed in educating Moslem girls, so that they would grow up to be good mothers, aware of their role in the battle of liberation.

She has to be of sufficient knowledge and understanding where the performance of housekeeping matters are concerned, because economy and avoidance of waste of the family budget, is one of the requirements for the ability to continue moving forward in the difficult conditions surrounding us. She should put before her eyes the fact that the money available to her is just like blood which should never flow except through the veins so that both children and grown-ups could continue to live.

“Verily, the Moslems of either sex, and the true believers of either sex, and the devout men, and the devout women, and the men of veracity, and the women of veracity, and the patient men, and the patient women, and the humble men, and the humble women, and the alms-givers of either sex who remember Allah frequently; for them hath Allah prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” (The Confederates – verse 25).

I know such talk must give Dmitry Orzo and his ilk a massive hard-on. In fact, it’s as though Dmitry’s read The Covenant Of The Islamic Resistance Movement and fashioned his approach to Collapse around it because he sure incorporates many of its elements in his various written offerings. This 1988 Hamas Covenant, if you review it closely, mentions waste many times throughout, and Dmitry is also very concerned with waste — especially wasting women. And didn’t you just know these male dildos on the Left/left always had this in mind for women when it’s all said and done — they just want to be the ones in charge of the women without working too hard to get it.

This next quote from the 1988 Hamas Covenant pretty much reveals that those on the Left/left who find favor with Hamas and disseminate the regressive and obsessive arguments of the 1998 Hamas Covenant are engaging in Jihad. That’s right, The Welch Committee to include the vaunted mfi (magnificently fucking impressive — considering his endless list of achievements), Moon of Alabama, The Vineyard of the Saker and even Pat Lang’s blog, Sic Semper Tyrannis are helping Hamas spread Jihad. Way to go guys — you rubes or traitors if it’s intentional. From the 1988 Hamas Covenant link:

Article Thirty:

Writers, intellectuals, media people, orators, educaters and teachers, and all the various sectors in the Arab and Islamic world – all of them are called upon to perform their role, and to fulfill their duty, because of the ferocity of the Zionist offensive and the Zionist influence in many countries exercised through financial and media control, as well as the consequences that all this lead to in the greater part of the world.

Jihad is not confined to the carrying of arms and the confrontation of the enemy. The effective word, the good article, the useful book, support and solidarity – together with the presence of sincere purpose for the hoisting of Allah’s banner higher and higher – all these are elements of the Jihad for Allah’s sake.

“Whosoever mobilises a fighter for the sake of Allah is himself a fighter. Whosoever supports the relatives of a fighter, he himself is a fighter.” (related by al-Bukhari, Moslem, Abu-Dawood and al-Tarmadhi).

Many of the arguments proffered at the blogs I’ve mentioned use language and arguments straight from the 1988 Hamas Covenant text and certainly when they alter their words ever so slightly, they share the same Jihad sentiment of ridding the world of Jews and Americans. Let me give you an example from Moon of Alabama that was a response to me after I left the following comment:

It looks to me like Israel is taking a page out of Russia’s book. Palestinians are to Israel as Chechens are to Russia — and look how that savagery turned out for Russia and Putin. Chechnya is now docile and submissive bending to the savage will of Putin’s Russia and performing savage acts for Russia as is witnessed by Chechen fighters in Eastern Ukraine and the notorious Tsarnaev brothers in Boston. Israel can learn from Putin’s strategy against the Chechens — they just have to have the resolve to crush and annihilate as Putin does. Right? What’s good for Putin’s goose is good for Israel’s gander, right? Shouldn’t we at least be consistent?

Russia’s disastrous war in Chechnya has witnessed butchery and savagery on a scale and intensity recalling World War II. During the 1990s massive formations of Russian tanks, artillery, and aircraft pounded Chechen cities and towns to charred ruins. Since then, Chechnya has endured years of guerrilla war and government security sweeps in which thousands of people have been killed or disappeared. The conflict has spilled into neighboring republics in southern Russia, destabilizing an already precarious region. Guerrillas have indiscriminately struck deep into the heart of Russia, killing hundreds of civilians, including children. Human rights and the laws of war appear meaningless to both sides.

As Russia showed signs of swinging back to its authoritarian past under Vladamir Putin, who succeeded Yeltsin, the United States and other Western nations were more critical about growing evidence of human rights abuses in Chechnya. George Bush threatened in 2000 to cut off aid if Russia continued “killing women and children, leaving orphans and refugees” in Chechnya. The West’s tone changed dramatically after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. The United States, looking for allies in an international war on terrorism, was eager to accept help from Moscow, which portrayed the Chechen conflict as another front in the conflict against Islamic terrorism. The European Union, the U.S. State Department and others have occasionally urged Russia to curb human rights abuses in Chechnya, but there has been little action to back the censure and the issue has almost disappeared from international politics.

The Russian government has also managed to deflect domestic attention from Chechnya and there is little public discussion of the issue. Journalists, human rights groups and others are restricted and Chechnya remains a very dangerous place for outsiders and locals.

How convenient 9/11 took the heat off Russia for Chechnya. Maybe a little too convenient. Perhaps all those expatriated Russians now residing in America who claim Putin’s Russia did 9/11 are onto something. Cui bono from 9/11? Russia sure did. Many others too.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jul 27, 2014 2:04:21 PM | 6

To that comment I got the following two rebuttals:

I wouldn’t for a moment agree. Gaza is far too much under the spotlight, and the crime will be hung round Israel’s neck. You can only say that because you’re an American, and out of touch with the rest of the world.

Posted by: Alexno | Jul 27, 2014 2:33:47 PM | 8

What? That doesn’t make any sense — it’s incoherent apoplectic rage foaming out of the mouth of a rabid dog. If you thought that was bad, there’s this — and this proves you can’t argue with these numbskulls because everything you put forth is a Zionist plot including Chechyna. No one on this earth is capable of doing anything on its own without the control of The Jews, or at least that seems to be the illogic.

European Jews with modest amounts of Semitic blood especially as compared to Palestinians flock to Palestine and use terror squads to steal the land in the 1900s after being absent since the time of Christ.

Russia otoh had dominated Chechnya as part of its proximate territory since the 1500s. Billy Kristol and the Israeli-loyal neocons help foment Chechen
anti-Russian terrorism as part of a gambit to lessen animus against Israel in certain parts of the Islamic world.

Leave it to the agent of American and Israeli imperialism assholefield
to blur the theaters and side with the Zionist neocons while spinning unheard of conspiracy theories to make those of the “Truthers” seem plausible by comparison.

Posted by: truthbetold | Jul 27, 2014 2:49:00 PM | 9

Are these people on Watch Lists? If not, they should be. Can I trade places with them on the list if they’re not? Please. They’re much more dangerous than me — but now that I think about it, that’s exactly why they’re not on any lists and I am. Oh well. That’s the story of my life. I’ve always been on one list or another. I’m used to it and I don’t care anymore, remember?

I want to make something clear, although I shouldn’t have to as though I’m taking an oath. I don’t support and condone war and I certainly don’t support propensity to violence by both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict regardless of how proportionally unequal that violence is. Many on the Left/left point to the disparity in the proportion of casualties and label Israel butchers as a result. That’s misleading and misdirecting hyperbole, because I have no doubt they would support Hamas and the Palestinians turning the tide of that disparate proportionality in favor of Hamas and the Palestinians and then suddenly, as if by magic, should Israel suffer more casualties, civilian and combatant alike, disproportion would no longer be an issue and the moral goal post of the Left/left would shift once again as it always does.

I also want to make it clear that I don’t take “sides” in these matters, and instead try to see them for the complex issues they are. Pursuant to that, whilst investigating and researching the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is useful in gaining perspective, if done so objectively and impartially, it’s of no use if you use that investigative research to then promote an argument of going back by claiming something current is illegitimate. Intelligent people know there’s no going back to some mythological past and undoing all that’s happened in between then and now. It’s not going to happen. It’s unrealistic and I believe those who propose it as a form of a solution to the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict do so precisely because they don’t want to see the conflict resolved in any other way than the annihilation of Israel, and until then they encourage the conflict and the attendant disproportionate suffering of the Palestinians because of their beef with The Jews. I consider this stance cowardly and sadistic. It’s a blood lust to stoke the flames of conflict by encouraging the weaker side of the conflict to suffer more and harder under the guise of some noble “resistance.” That’s not “resistance.” It’s sick.

As well, I don’t WANT to encourage Israel to continue its onslaught in Gaza and I never have and never will. However, what I WANT and do has little to no bearing and/or influence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but that doesn’t preclude me from seeing it for what it is, and considering a solution or solutions that could feasibly end the suffering plight of the Palestinians and extract them from harms way — freeing them from both Hamas and Israel and removing them from the reservation where they’re essentially held prisoners and used as whipping posts in this eternal conflict. I’ve mentioned this plausible solution at Moon of Alabama blog and I’m sure you can imagine the responses I received. Although, I will say, even though my solution is plausible, it’s highly improbable because too many people, including those on the Left/left, have a vested interest in maintaining the conflict — most especially the Arab world that has used the Palestinians as a foil for their connivance and machinations. Without the Palestinians, the Arab world and Israel would have to square off face to face rather than via the proxy Palestinians, and we couldn’t have that, could we? Therefore, the weak, defenseless ones take the blows for the cowardly Arab world that lacks the backbone necessary to fight Israel fair and square. In turn, Israel can feel all puffed up when it bombs innocent civilians to dust as the Arab world watches with feigned disgust but’s secretly happy it’s the Palestinians and not them. It’s a sick game, and I’d like to help end it with my solution if only the rest of the world, outside the vested interests I’ve mentioned (the Arab world, the Left/left, Hamas and Israel), makes a concerted effort to draw it up and implement it. Here’s what I said about it at Moon of Alabama blog, but of course, it got lost in the spittle-spewing, vitriolic miasma at that space, so I’ll repost it here for posterity and emphasis.

I will state once again, for the record, the people of Palestine are caught between a rock and a hard place, and the only viable solution at this point is an international effort to evacuate non-militant Palestinians treating them as refugees and developing a plan that allows them to immigrate to various cooperating countries — including Russia, China and all the Middle Eastern countries not yet in flames. There can be no One State or Two State solution to this juggernaut. Palestinians, as part of this effort, need to reject The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and move on. There is no going back. If Palestinians stubbornly refuse such an international gesture, they’ll seal their fate by tying themselves to Hamas because their goal is to eliminate Israel as is stated in the Hamas charter of 1988.

Imagine Kiev developing a charter such as this and vowing to destroy Russia then proceed to fire rockets into downtown Moscow. What do you think Russia’s response would be? I’ll tell you what it would be. It would make the destruction of Katyr Yurt and all its inhabitants look like a picnic. Thankfully, Ukrainians aren’t so stupid and blinded by religion.

I commentator named Matt, who has posted to this blog by the way, then threatened my family by Palestinian proxy with this comment:

Dear ethnic-cleansing crypto-fascist: Why not “relocate” the Palestinians to the country responsible for sponsoring the crime you propose: The United States of America?

Oh, no can’t do that, they might come after Holefield’s family, and swing his kids by the ankles as they bash their brains out against a tree trunk. That’s what the Creek Indians did to the Anglo settlers invading their lands from Tennessee.

And in a message to you, the Creek had EVERY RIGHT to do so, just as the Palestinians have every right to resist by any means at their disposal. It is only a pity they have but bottle rockets to fight with.

No, you want to double down on the injustice, by imposing the original injustice of victimizing the Palestinians for the crimes of the Nazis upon the countries on your hate list that had little or nothing to do with either original injustice.

For the record, this guy is also for the ethnic cleansing for all Russians living outside its borders. Move them into this guy’s backyard, too, so we can watch them waste him and his family, Creek-style.

Posted by: Matt | Jul 24, 2014 1:36:32 PM | 18

To which I satirically replied — keeping in mind that these hating ideologues are literalists and do not understand the nuance and subtlety of satire:

That’s what the Creek Indians did to the Anglo settlers invading their lands from Tennessee.

Really? If that’s the case I’m no longer so sad about what happened to their vaunted Buffalo. Thanks for removing the empathy from my heart. Anyone who does the above deserves what they get — and it looks like the Indians got what they deserved. America = 50 & Indians = 0.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jul 24, 2014 2:08:26 PM | 23

I also replied to Matt’s post as follows, this time without the satire:

Move them into this guy’s backyard, too, so we can watch them waste him and his family, Creek-style.

Posted by: Matt | Jul 24, 2014 1:36:32 PM | 18

Are you saying that all Palestinian people are militant, brutal murderers? If so, you’re making Israel’s case and justifying snuffing out the Palestinians before the Palestinians snuff out Israel per the 1988 Hamas Charter.

I’m not saying all Palestinian people are militant. I believe most of them aren’t. What I want for them is to be able to live there life in peace and out of harm’s way instead of being designated whipping posts for both sides in this eternal debate. I want to free them. You want to commit them to a life of futile struggle and sadistic violence.

My way is the more humane way. Your way is more inhumanity.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jul 24, 2014 2:16:50 PM | 27

Some other posters, on the heels of what occurred to Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 had the nerve to encourage further such tragedies by suggesting the following to the Hamas leadership:

I didn’t think any of you would stoop so low as to encourage, nay insist on, missile attacks on civilian aircraft, but I was wrong. I can admit when I’m wrong — and I was wrong in thinking too highly of some of you.

I thought the earlier comment from Matt wishing the Palestinians had nukes so they could nuke Israel from here to kingdom come was bad enough, but then there’s this.

I don’t know, maybe it’s just me but I call these statements and the sentiment behind it terrorism. Where are all the alphabet agencies when you need them? Nowhere to be seen. Maybe they’re the ones making the comments because they sure seem to have left the building when it comes to their “official” purpose.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jul 24, 2014 4:55:10 PM | 38

My plan, and I, were attacked further so I provided more clarification and elaboration as follows:

Your Very Humanitarian Plan can be achieved much closer to home: all that is required is for Israel to agree that the refugees in Gaza – people who were, remember, forced out of their homes in Najd and Majdal – should be allowed to leave Gaza and returned to their home.

My plan stands a much better chance of success. Your plan is dead on arrival and you know it, so what we’re left with, if we went with your impossible plan, is failure, eternal conflict and the Palestinians getting the short and blunt end of the stick. Why do you want them to continue to suffer? Why do you want them to fight your battle? If you hate the Jews that much, go on over, all of you, and take the IDF on yourself. Quit goading non-militant Palestinians to be militant and support an international effort to evacuate them from that hellhole and set them up with new lives and better chances in other countries. It’s sick to wear their suffering on your sleeve in perpetuity in your battle with The Jews. Free the Palestinians. Give them hope. Give them a future. Give them a chance. Free them from Israel and Hamas. Mine is the workable humane way. Stop encouraging the carnage.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jul 24, 2014 6:54:54 PM | 57

The have no right to occupy Palestine.

Right or no right — they do occupy the land you refer to as Palestine and you can’t escape that fact. You can’t make it just go away. Going back doesn’t accomplish anything right now. The conflict is intractable and disproportionate. I’m offering a viable solution for the weaker side. It’s doable, and if any of you were as concerned as you portend to be for the welfare of the Palestinians, you would agree. You would also agree that Hamas and its charter are an abomination and are in no way representative of the majority of Palestinians, and don’t give me that crap that the Palestinian people voted for them. Such a vote is coerced since there are no viable options. The Palestinian people aren’t free to choose because there are no choices. I want to give them a future with choices. You want to give them a future of suffering and hell on Earth in your beef with Israel and The Jews.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jul 24, 2014 7:05:51 PM | 60

Young Palestinians are at the point where they prefer death to submission. Gaza is their Massada.

Posted by: dh | Jul 24, 2014 8:04:42 PM | 64

If so, they need to quit hiding behind the women and children and step out and get their death because it’s not workable as it stands and they’re being hypocrites. If they prefer fight to the death, then they need to come out of their bunkers under the women and children and fight to the death. Otherwise they’re full of shit.

Hatred isn’t an answer to hatred. Tyranny isn’t an answer to tyranny. Russia isn’t an answer to America and Hamas isn’t an answer to Israel.

So long as other ways are possible, we should strive for those other ways. If other ways are not available, violence will often ensue as the only recourse.

So now the Palestinians are “a mess.” I’m asking the entire world, all countries, to do their part in providing a future for the Palestinians. I don’t want them ethnically cleansed or genocided or subjected to a life of unending misery, suffering and hopelessness. I don’t want them in my backyard, I want them as my neighbor and your neighbor. I want them as Putin’s neighbor and Merkel’s neighbor. I want them as the Mullah’s neighbors. I don’t believe, like Matt does, that they’re murderous heathens who will bash children’s heads against stones and trees. Hamas, yes, but Hamas is not the Palestinians, despite your objections to the contrary. Who would want to emphasize that message — that Hamas is the Palestinian people? The IDF and the Israeli leadership, that’s who. The fact I make the distinction between Hamas and the Palestinians proves I’m not of that disposition and also proves those who do push that line of reasoning are of that disposition.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jul 25, 2014 9:41:23 AM | 100

As you can see, it’s exhausting. Talk about obsessed — these people are the epitome of it, and it’s not a good obsession to have. This obsession isn’t a knife — it’s a nuke — a nuking of reason and rationality. They’re obsessed with this conflict — they thrive on it — it charges their batteries — without it, they wouldn’t know how to vent their rage and hatred — so — the conflict rages on — the race continues just as Messala told Ben-Hur it would. I’d like to prove Messala wrong. Unfortunately, too few share my sentiment or have even given it enough thought to accept or reject my proposed rebuke of Messala’s arrogant and hate-filled message by removing the fuel and tinder of the Palestinian conflict or depriving the charioteers of their horses so there can be no more race or races.

So, as you can see, obsession is everywhere and it comes in all shapes and sizes. I’ve only touched on a few — a tip of the obsession iceberg. One could aptly say Obsessions R Us. We’re suited for obsession, and in some cases, that suitability has served us well — in other cases, as I’ve adequately shown, not so well. We’re all prone to obsession. It’s part of what and who we are. Choose and use your obsessions well. If everyone did, the world could and would be a better place.

Until next post, lie well and for all the right reasons and live long my friends.

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19 thoughts on “It’s Time We Have That Talk”

It’s pathetic I have to do this, but considering Mark Lang Ireland Welch’s obsessive penchant for deleting and overwriting posts, I prefer to keep a record rather than expressing in vain, so I’ll deposit it here for now.

I agree with Celsius, give Putin what he wants — all of Eastern and Western Europe. I mean, Germany is really Russia’s since Russia obviously defeated Germany in WWII. America had hardly anything to do with that defeat so it’s not fair America got a piece of the German pie. France — well France has always catered to, and folded for, tyrannical despots and this time is no different as is witnessed by the sale of the helicopter carriers despite limp protestations from other NATO countries. As for Italy, well, the Russians practically own Italy, so its annexation is a forgone conclusion — Putin is best friends with Berlusconi to the point Putin’s daughters dine with the lecherous politician when they’re vacationing in Italy. So yeah, The West needs to step aside (even though it has stepped aside already) and let Putin remake the world in a way that would make Stalin blush with unabashed pride.

I watched an excellent film several years ago that captured perfectly the plight of Palestinian women. It’s called Etz Limon or Lemon Tree. Not only did it capture the essence of this conflict, it did so in a beautifully captivating manner. The movie is superb in all respects and I highly suggest it. Of course, it’s well past this point now, but it’s still worth it for all the reasons I mentioned. It was directed by an Israeli, Erna Riklis, who was amazingly impartial in delivering this masterpiece. Also, it stars Hiam Abbas who is simply sublime in her understated, raw elegance.

First a YouTube clip of the trailer.

Here’s a review from IMDb

If you cut down a lemon grove, what is left?

26 July 2009 | by Red-125 (Upstate New York) – See all my reviews

Etz Limon (2008) directed by Eran Riklis, was shown in the United States with the title “Lemon Tree.” (Don’t confuse the film with a popular novel that has the same title.) The plot of the story is simple enough. The Israeli defense minister moves into a home located right next to a lemon grove owned by a Palestinian woman. Israeli security agents decide that the grove presents a hazard to the minister and his wife, and declare that the lemon trees must be destroyed. The Palestinian woman fights the destruction of her livelihood and her legacy.

Although the basic plot of “Lemon Tree” is simple, the movie is complex. There are fascinating interactions between the woman–Salma Zidane, played by the incomparable Hiam Abbass–and her lawyer and her children. The defense minister has a edgy relationship with his wife. (His wife is basically a fair and caring woman, and isn’t supportive of the grove’s destruction, but she also likes being married to a powerful, charismatic public figure.) The defense minister is obviously very close to a beautiful young aide, and the movie suggests that they’re having an affair.

Although the film is clearly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, all of the Palestinians aren’t portrayed as perfect individuals. One local Palestinian leader doesn’t suggest any course of action for Salma, but warns her not to accept compensation from the Israelis. Refusal to accept compensation probably makes sense as a political strategy. However, without compensation, what options are open to a widow whose sole livelihood is taken from her?

To me, the saddest part of the movie was the failure of Salma and the minister’s wife Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael) to ever meet face to face. On several occasions in the film they almost meet, but the meeting never actually takes place. Symbolically, that failure to communicate on a personal level represents the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma. They are figuratively and literally unable to speak to each other, and therefore they can never move beyond stereotypes and hostility.

We saw this film at the excellent Rochester Jewish Film Festival. However, it would work well on the small screen. It’s an extraordinary film, and definitely worth seeking out.

I have to deposit another comment I made at Mark Celsius Ireland Welch’s blog per this blog post since, as I’ve mentioned, Welch has a proclivity for deleting and or overwriting comments that don’t further his propaganda play.

The commentator Celsius233, another particularly pernicious creep like so many at that space — especially mfi, can be counted on at that space for trotting out trope after trope. This following comment from him doesn’t disappoint in that regard. It is pure propaganda. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this said across the Bloggerverse, in almost the same exact wording, by screen names that fit the precise Celsius233 profile. Study the patterns and messaging. Your heart and mind are at stake.

Celsius 233

July 29, 2014

Russia knows war, up front and personal (Stalingrad for one), unlike Americans, who have never (since the civil war) known war on their own soil, their homes. This, IMO, is why Americans are so jingoistic; it’s always *over there*.

Putin (my read) is one shrewd player and knows what he’ll do, and it’s not nuclear (except in retaliation). He’s already started the process; alignment with China and the BRICS.

America is spent (ideologically) and morally bankrupt, losing support by the day, so all Putin has to do is use that to his own purpose.

America’s economic sanctions are not unlike those imposed on Japan during WWII, which is essentially a declaration of war; but Putin is smarter than that. This, IMO, needs to play out; war, if it comes, will be a proxy battle which I think Russia can handle. It’s their territory and people and logistically, much to their advantage.

We’ll see, this is a serious game of chess…

That’s my take at this juncture, cheers.

My response to this creep.

Russia knows war, up front and personal (Stalingrad for one), unlike Americans, who have never (since the civil war) known war on their own soil, their homes. This, IMO, is why Americans are so jingoistic; it’s always *over there*.

By this logic, one could assert Americans know economic Depression — except they don’t because the generation that did has greatly thinned and has almost died out. Any subsequent generations increasingly have no clue about the economic Depression aside from what they read in textbooks.

So no, Russia doesn’t know war. Russians did know war, but Russians don’t know it now except as historical artifact.

Notice how this asshole always says “cheers” after his posts. What a shithead. Cheers, my ass. Yeah, like you’re so amazingly cheery with your “you’re all going to fucking die gruesome deaths and pay for your sins, you bastard Americans — but make sure you send me the balance of my Social Security payments before you do, please!!” Charlatan. Yet another one. So many — so little time. Welch will be held to account. He can apologize now, or later. But he will apologize — I promise you that.

Not according to The Saker. He wrote the “The Ukraine” is the proper way to refer to the area, much like “The Netherlands:”

Ha! Of course The Saker would say it’s Ukraine, because to do so is in the historical spirit of conferring Ukraine to Russia as one of its provinces. The Saker is a devious and conniving bastard and is laughing his ass off convincing the lot of you (which isn’t too difficult apparently so long as the criticism is properly directed according to your humble opinions) you should call it “the Ukraine.” By virtue of The Saker’s logic, I suppose you’ll start referring to Palestine as “The Palestine” since it’s the same difference meaning following your reassoning in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israel believes Palestine belongs to them. In fact, it’s not even the same difference when you consider Ukraine is a world-recognized sovereign country unlike Palestine so for Russians like The Saker to refer to it as a Russian possession is highly insulting and covetous. Not surprising, considering.

Ukraine is a country. The Ukraine is the way the Russians referred to that part of the country during Soviet times … Now that it is a country, a nation, and a recognized state, it is just Ukraine. And it is incorrect to refer to the Ukraine, even though a lot of people do it.
~Former Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor (2006-2009)

AndrewLeach Then in the case of Ukraine (don’t know about the others) you are politically incorrect. The Ukrainian government specifically requested after independence that it be known as ‘Ukraine’ in English, which is what all responsible opinion (such as the BBC) call it. Ukraine is a territory which has been contested for centuries between such protagonists as Russia, Poland, Austro-Hungary, Ottoman Turkey and others. Previous governments of Russia (not just the Soviet – but take a look at Catherine the Great) had appended ‘the’ as a way of inferring it was part of Russia.

It is not our identity and linguistic self-determination which are in question, but Ukraine’s; and disdain for Ukraine’s preference is a deliberate discourtesy.

If I recollect, Europe was in flames and ruins for the first half of the 20th century after two debilitating world wars where each respective country was at each others throats. Since then America has risen to prominence and its prodigious global presence has been significant in preventing Europe from going up in flames yet again. You better hope this mfi blog post is pure disputable opinion (I think it is — a flawed, wishful, vindictive and inaccurate theory), because if it has any merit (I think it has little to none), and America takes a back seat voluntarily or involuntarily, you’ll be eating your wishful hats and pining for the good ‘ol days (by comparison to what will come) of the first half of the 20th century when it was just tens of millions dead and not billions.

Europe’s recent signing on to this latest, stricter round of sanctions is in stark contradiction to mfi’s theory. Europe would be idiotic to allow Putin to use energy supplies as a weapon and get away with it. If they let him do it now, he will do it again and again — each time the stakes getting higher and higher. That’s what blackmailers do — once they know they can blackmail you, as Putin’s trying to do with energy supplies to Europe, they’ll hold you over a barrel for eternity. I don’ think Europe’s that stupid.

Thanks, but I’ve read it already. It’s typical and par for the course. I’ve come to expect it. Let them eat cake — and throw it. I couldn’t care less. I’m tough as nails, remember? Maybe you don’t since you’re new around these parts? Or are you? Your articulation reminds me of someone I knew when I was living in Newberry.

I don’t want to do anything about it except laugh. People like that aren’t a nuisance, they’re devilishly ticklish. The kind of laughter they provide helps keep potential high blood pressure from manifesting. It’s all about perspective. Just ask the Buddha.

By the way, nice outfit. Perfect for shoveling the snow. You Canadians are weird, eh?

With each passing year the US becomes more shrill, high-handed, orwellian, and uses an all stick no carrots approach to dealing with its allies and the rest of the world. The US push for constant wars, regime change, destabilization, and ensuing chaos in the wake of it’s actions have completely destroyed its morale authority and international credibility.

Nah, I don’t think so. The facts belie this statement. If you avoid the rhetoric and hyperbole, things are running smoothly behind the scenes. It’s Business As Usual.

China and Russia like the way America does things as is witnessed by this collaborative Chinese-American relationship in regard to internal security and controlling populations.

With the help of U.S. defense contractors, China is building the prototype for a high-tech police state. It is ready for export.

The security cameras are just one part of a much broader high-tech surveillance and censorship program known in China as “Golden Shield.” The end goal is to use the latest people-tracking technology — thoughtfully supplied by American giants like IBM, Honeywell and General Electric — to create an airtight consumer cocoon: a place where Visa cards, Adidas sneakers, China Mobile cellphones, McDonald’s Happy Meals, Tsingtao beer and UPS delivery (to name just a few of the official sponsors of the Beijing Olympics) can be enjoyed under the unblinking eye of the state, without the threat of democracy breaking out. With political unrest on the rise across China, the government hopes to use the surveillance shield to identify and counteract dissent before it explodes into a mass movement like the one that grabbed the world’s attention at Tiananmen Square.

Remember how we’ve always been told that free markets and free people go hand in hand? That was a lie. It turns out that the most efficient delivery system for capitalism is actually a communist-style police state, fortressed with American “homeland security” technologies, pumped up with “war on terror” rhetoric. And the global corporations currently earning superprofits from this social experiment are unlikely to be content if the lucrative new market remains confined to cities such as Shenzhen. Like everything else assembled in China with American parts, Police State 2.0 is ready for export to a neighborhood near you.

True to form, Pat Ireland Stirling Welchenstein doesn’t disappoint. He deleted this comment. Tell me, how is this comment not contributing and how is it threatening in any way except to challenge preconceived notions? Meet the new Left/left, same as Stalin’s old Left/left. Putin smiles. So many water-carrying volunteers. What’s not to like?

This is what Welcheroo said to a censorious commentator here about banning and deleting posts that don’t further the Party Line. You make the call. Is Welch a liar considering he deleted the above post? He said he doesn’t like to moderate, but man oh man, he’s moderating away like a busy little beaver. He says he doesn’t read my posts, yet he deleted this one which tells me he read it and made a judgment to delete it because it contained disconfirming information from one of their valued authors (Naomi Klein) and they hate it when you turn their own (birds of a feather) words against them in pointing out their glaring contradictions and inconsistent thought.

Ian – I prefer to avoid moderating, but more of Q. Schtik’s comments have been deleted in the last few days than allowed to stay. People like Q. and Coldfield (MorroccoBama) don’t leave just because you make them unwelcome. IP banning doesn’t work these days. I could ban by name, they’d just change it (Coldfield is on his 3rd or 4th pseud.) Take the old, and standard troll advice — don’t feed, and don’t even read them.

And where I may have had many pseudonyms in the past, I’ve never claimed to be something I’m not like mfi who is also a pseudonym and has had numerous pseudonyms yet claims a resume that cannot be publicly verified and holds himself out as an expert when his credentials cannot be validated. Like I said, Welch, the grape juice king, is going to apologize. He can do it now, or he can do it later. Better to do it now, Welcharoni, because the longer this goes on, the more egg you’ll have to clean off your arrogant face.

I’m heartened you’re finding the time to laugh with your bleeding, but highly partial and discriminating, heart on your sleeve. It’s not easy to feign crying and laugh at the same time — in fact, it’s more difficult than chewing gum and dribbling a basketball I would imagine.

I followed your link over to that ” jew-hater ” Ian Welsh blog

I don’t know any such blog. Perhaps you’re referring to the Ian Stirling Ireland Lang Simeone Celsius Welch blog. If so, I’m glad you followed the link, because in a moment or two, I would like you to address disaffected’s myopia with your own. That always makes for fun times and great laughs.

About the part I bolded in the blockquote. Why quote jew-hater as you did as if I used that word in addressing The Welch Committee‘s bias? Cite where I explicitly said jew-hater. You can’t, therefore the quotes are deceptive. A transparent tactic of those who lie poorly and for all the wrong reasons.

Also, an interesting style of quoting, I might add. Perhaps Q. Shtik can opine. First, you use close quotes only instead of an open quote mark before the quoted word and a closing quote mark after the quoted word. An ancient word processor perhaps? The sign of a grizzled internet interloping veteran who still revels in the glory days of a failed Fifth Estate, maybe? Maybe. Maybe not. Second, placing a space between the closed opening quote mark and the start of the quoted word and then another space after the word before the closed closing quote mark. A very distinct style. Unconscious or conscious? We’ll see. The little forensic inside me is titillated. So many patterns as possible clues. How do I filter them all? Just joking. I don’t really obsess over all these clues that much. I do note it for future reference. One never knows when such peculiarities might come in handy.

I AGREE with his take on the Gaza genocide

I’ll grant that what’s happening in Gaza is a tragedy, but I don’t believe it rises to the level of genocide as of yet. Could it eventually and very shortly? Yes, it’s plausible and probable. But it hasn’t yet, so by asserting it’s currently a genocide serves to “Cry Wolf” and you inure and desensitize the world to the concept of genocide when you water it down by calling your pet cause du jour it when it clearly is not. But I’m sure that won’t stop you and the others. You do a further injustice to the Palestinians by overstating the case.

Thanks for the link!

Any time. Glad I could be of help in you finding some validation for your myopic bias and prejudice. There’s no better feeling than thinking you’re right and being among those of like-mind who feel the same way. You’ll like Ian Stirling Ireland Lang Simeone Celsius Welch‘s blog for that very reason. I won’t say you’ll be among friends, but you’ll certainly be among birds of your same feather.

Make sure to donate here when visiting that blog. The blog author needs help funding his scheduled liposuction surgery to vacuum the gelatin out of his fat head before it pops.

I’m also glad I found your CITL website today

How did you find this site, may I ask? It’s not exactly a big swinging dick as far as blogs are concerned.

Let me see. Gazans are Palestinians as Creeks are Indians. Matt contends Gazans, who are Palestinians, are baby killers just as Creeks, as Indians, are baby killers. Liberals have thrown it up in everyone’s faces that the White man has genocided the Indians and it was accomplished in numerous ways. One way, was exterminating the Buffalo, although even this theory is debatable.

Extermination of the American (south, central, north) indigenous as genocide is beyond argument. Any parallel to Palestinians is an exaggeration. As for buffalo (they were/are really bison), a theory? debatable? News to me.

Extermination of the American (south, central, north) indigenous as genocide is beyond argument. Any parallel to Palestinians is an exaggeration. As for buffalo (they were/are really bison), a theory? debatable? News to me.

Don, anything’s debatable. Anything and everything. I’m not debating any of the above, and I agree paralleling Palestinians and Indians is a stretch — hence part of the motivation for my satirical comment to Matt. He had no business bringing up Indians (Creeks) in a discussion of Gaza and the Palestinians. His comment made me laugh out loud it was so nonsensical. He impugned both Indians and Palestinians by implying they would murder me and my children, for him presumably, if given the chance because they are so full of vengeful bloodlust after so many years of abuse and exploitation. Matt was projecting — it’s Matt who wants to do that — who wants to bash my children’s skulls against rocks and trees and fill me and my wife full of hot lead, and it’s a cowardly act to use Indians and Palestinians to level that threat.

The fact you were moved to comment about my absurd satirical comment means it worked — and that’s more than can be said for most. I’m guessing half the audience didn’t get it at all and many took it literally. It’s flawed logic, purposely, just as Matt’s statements were flawed logic — purposely or not.

I’m glad you found the site and I hope you take the time to read it thoroughly. There’s a lot of hard work in these 32 posts and counting. As you read, if you do, keep in mind I have no skin in this game. I’m a neutral observer and everything and anything is fair game. I’m a predator and my prey is contradiction that I tear apart with teeth composed of satirical irony.

When reading the first of what I read of your pieces, it started off funny and obviously satirical. That set the stage, preparing me for further satire as you delved into deeper issues. So I was reading a writer who had some humor. What a relief.

I would think it the same for any reader, but as you surely know, satire reveals as much about the reader as the writer; the reader’s reaction to what has been stated satirically says much about their presumptions/assumptions.

For instance, I’m prone to say, in testing the listener, that “Those lazy Mexicans are stealing our jobs.” The reaction is usually one of seeing the obvious contradiction. Then perhaps we can go from there to discussing cultural stereotypes, or what have you. In some cases the listener misses it entirely, thus revealing their assumptions, whether as reactionary or liberal correct thinker. At that point I know I’ve got the listener at a terrible disadvantage, so try to hold back so as to not embarrass them further, or maybe not.

In any case, when dealing in satire (and often interchangeably with sarcasm) one steps into the void of ambiguity that many simply can’t contend with. Some have to have it literal so they can easily see their target. But the disorientation is often overwhelming, and thus they shot themselves in the foot.

Well said. I agree. Intelligent, well-constructed satire is for a very small audience. Most don’t have the patience and/or capacity for understanding it and assimilating it.

What I love most about satire is it’s not humor just for humor’s sake, although that has its place and is a good thing most of the time, but rather it’s humor with a point.

But yeah, the world abounds in literalists and we must suffer them. What better tactic then to turn their literalism into an endless supply of satirical material. As I said before, it’s like picking an unlimited supply of low-hanging fruit. I couldn’t possibly pick it all by myself.

Here’s the only threat to a satirist, though. The world is increasingly becoming an unwitting satire unto itself. Once it reaches a certain saturation point, there’s no longer any need for a satirist — he/she would be redundant or superfluous — or worse — a literalist (gasp).

I know, but it wouldn’t fit the satire. Matt created a strawman stereotypical caricature to serve in lieu of me and then proceeded to attempt to set that strawman aflame. In so doing, he lit himself up instead.

That strawman stereotypical character Matt unsuccessfully tried to immolate was the iconic American conservative — the one embodied by the persona and image of Ronald Reagan and John Wayne.

In order for my satire to be all it could be, I had to maintain that image and hence buffalo versus bison. This iconic Western tune underscores my point. It wouldn’t sound quite the same or have quite the same effect if the musician replaced buffalo with bison. Give it a try and tell me I’m wrong.

See, once again you were getting hung up on technicalities that really didn’t apply. That’s the analyst in you, so I understand the proclivity.